Forestry alumni receive achievement awards
Forestry alumni Gerry Burch and Kahlil Baker are 2 of just 8 UBC alumni to receive an Alumni Achievement Award for 2018. These awards honour inspiring members of the UBC community whose extraordinary endeavours and leadership have created positive social change.
George Richards, BSF 1959
On paper, George Richards’ career as a forester began in the late 1950s. But if you ask him it really started many years earlier, as a young child in Golden BC. “My family lived in a home with wood stoves, so I learned early the value of wood” he says. “Golden was a really small town back then. There were just five kids in my high school graduating class!”
Johanna Moretto, BSc(Nat Res Cons) 2002
Why did you choose UBC Forestry?
By accident really – I was more interested in finding a conservation program. I read through various options and the Forestry conservation program seemed to be the most diverse and interdisciplinary. Before I came to Forestry, I was more interested in saving the trees, rather than cutting them down. I later realized that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive and that you can harvest trees responsibly and still maintain ecological and cultural values.
City of Surrey
What is your role at the City of Surrey?
Owen Croy, BSF’87: I’m the Manager of Parks and my responsibilities include special events, the film office, long range planning for acquisition of new parks, overseeing the design of new parks, construction and the civic beautification office. I joined the City of Surrey in 1992 and very shortly after I became responsible for the city’s street tree program and management of its natural forests.
Matt Wealick, BSF 2001
Matt Wealick, BSF’01 and RPF, accepted the award at the BC Aboriginal Business Awards on December 5, 2013, in Vancouver. As the Chief Operating Officer of Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribal Management, Matt oversees 6 businesses with the support of 9 core and up to 10 part-time staff. The company manages 5 forest licenses: two of its own and 3 belonging to other First Nations.
Heidi Walsh, BSF 1996 and Sandy McKellar, BSc 1996
What year did you graduate and from which program?
SM: I graduated in 1995 from Forest Sciences (well, finished courses in 1995 and crossed the stage to get my degree in 1996).
HW: I finished the Forest Resources Management program courses in December 1995 and I too officially graduated in 1996.
Hosny El-Lakany, PhD 1969
Why did you choose UBC Forestry?
I am originally from Egypt, near Alexandria, and attended the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria. I earned my master’s degree in 1966, studying under the first Egyptian forester. I was a teaching instructor at the same school and for three years listened to his fascinating stories of the west coast of North America and was inspired to learn more.
Brendan Guy, BSc 2010
I dash down to the United Nations to participate in the latest talks on the future of planet stewardship, grab a quick lunch with the Ambassador from Seychelles who is seeking innovative policy advice, and then head to a meeting with mayors from across the world who are teaming up to take action on climate change.
Greg Goldstone, BSF 1984
Tell us a bit about yourself. What have you been up to since graduation?
Following graduation from UBC in 1984 with a BSF in Forest Management I worked as a contractor primarily in silviculture and protection but also dabbled in logging and road building. I joined the Forest Service and worked in protection, silviculture, engineering, the Small Business Program, and now BC Timber Sales. For the past year I have been the Acting Woodlands Manager for the BCTS Strait of Georgia Business Area.
Heather Coleman, BSF 2002, PhD 2008
Why did you choose UBC Forestry?
I started at UBC intending to go into commerce in my second year. Growing up on the prairies I didn’t really know that forestry could be a career option – I had spent four summers prior to starting at UBC tree planting and doing other silviculture work, but didn’t really understand the planning and research that guided these sorts of activities.